The Stranger by Albert Camus - Man or Monster? :: The Stranger The Outsider

Man or Monster in Camus The Stranger (The Outsider) In Albert Camus absurdist novel, The Stranger, Meursaults detachment from ordination and his killing of the Arab get wind moral and ethical implications for him and his society. As is common in many absurdist novels, Camus discusses the estrangement - and later development - of an individual in a benign and soggy universe, one in which conformity prevails. Camus not only satirizes the conformity of society, save religion and the legal system as well. By writing in the first person (from the standpoint of Meursault), he draws in the reader, making the evils of society more prevalent.The conflict is established at the end of Part I, when Meursault kills an Arab an work on not uncommon in Algiers during this period of social unrest (the 1930s). He does not do it intentionally, but rather because of the intensity of the moment and the fulgurant sunlight reflecting off of the Arabs blade. The fact that Meursault kills an Arab is o f little importance in this novel. The jury and the general population despise him because he is different, not because of the murder. level off Meursaults lawyer predicts that the punishment will be minimal. Throughout the total trial, the prosecution stresses Meursaults lifestyle and his indifference to everything. They bring up his produces funeral and say that he showed no signs of emotion. To make things worse, he went to a Fernandel comedy and had sex with Marie on the very next day. The prosecutor formerly states, ...all I see is a monster.It is true that Meursault was different from the rest of society. However, he changes doneout the trial and eventually becomes an existentialist hero. This is because he finds meaning in life. It is ironic, though, that he learns to appreciate life after his is effectively over. His apathetic coming to life is made clear from the first page Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I dont know. This foreshadows his approach to everything else in the book. His indifference to Mamans death contrasts significantly to Salamanos distress at losing his dog. Many of the characters in this book also function to highlight his qualities through contrast.At the end of the book, after coming to a realization, Meursault does not indispensability to die and for the first metre, he shows emotion. He shakes and screams at the chaplain and says, It was the first time in my life I wanted to kiss a man, when Celeste speaks up for him at the trial.